Seema Singh, PhD

Assistant Professor

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Research Interest:

NeuroHIV remains a major challenge in people living with HIV, with substance abuse significantly worsening neuroinflammation and neuronal injury. However, the mechanisms underlying substance-induced exacerbation of HIV-associated neurological complications remain poorly understood. My research focuses on investigating how HIV and drugs misuse alter neuroimmune communication through extracellular vesicle signaling, inflammasome activation, impaired ferritinophagy and other cellular stress pathways to identify novel therapeutic targets for NeuroHIV. These studies integrate mechanistic insights with translational approaches to develop clinically relevant interventions. The long-term goal is to establish targeted therapies that prevent or reverse NeuroHIV-associated brain injury and improve neurological outcomes for individuals living with HIV.

Ongoing Research Projects

Inflammasome Activation and Neuroimmune Dysregulation in NeuroHIV

The research aims to understand how HIV and substances of abuse activate inflammasome pathways in microglia and astrocytes, with emphasis on NLRP3 and NLRP6 signaling. We investigate upstream regulatory mechanisms, including microRNA regulation, dysregulated autophagy and, ER stress pathways that mediate inflammasome activation.

Organelle Dysfunction, lipid metabolism and Cellular Stress Responses in NeuroHIV

Altered cellular metabolism and organelle dysfunction are emerging hallmarks of NeuroHIV and substance abuse-associated neuropathology. We are investigating how mitochondrial damage, impaired lysosomal pathways and Lipid droplet accumulation contribute to neuroinflammation.

Extracellular Vesicle-Mediated Mechanisms in NeuroHIV and Substance Abuse

My research investigates how HIV and drugs of abuse alter glial extracellular vesicle (EV) cargo and signaling, contributing to neuroinflammation, ferroptosis, and synaptic injury in NeuroHIV. These studies aim to identify EV-based biomarkers and therapeutic targets to mitigate HIV- and substance abuse-associated neurological complications.

Education

PhD in Biological Sciences (Specialization: Neuroscience), CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow India, 2017

Recognition

2024: SNIP Early Career Investigation Travel Award, 28th Scientific Conference, oral presentation, Society on Neuroimmune Pharmacology, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
2023: Young Investigator Award, 27th Scientific Conference, Society on Neuroimmune Pharmacology, New Delhi, India
2023: SNIP Early Career Investigation Travel Award, 27th Scientific Conference, oral presentation, Society on Neuroimmune Pharmacology, New Delhi, India
2019: Selected for Department of Health Research (DHR)-Women Scientist fellowship, India
2015: Best Oral Presentation Award, Animals in National Symposium on Animals in Research and Testing (NSART) Lucknow, India
2013: Senior Research Fellowship of CSIR-UGC, India
2013: Selected for International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) School,
2011: Junior Research Fellowship, CSIR-UGC, India
2010: CSIR-UGC-NET, India
2009: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) University Grants Commission (UGC) National Eligibility Test (NET), India
2009: Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), India in Life Sciences (98.25 percentile)
2007-2009: DBT-Scholarship during M.Sc. from the Department of Biotechnology, India
2007: Qualified National Combined Biotechnology Test-Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

Memberships

Research Society on Alcoholism

American Society for Intercellular Communication

International Society for NeuroVirology

Society on Neuroimmune Pharmacology

Indian Academy of Neuroscience

Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research

Selected Publications

Singh, S., Horanieh, E., Semerad, C. L., Periyasamy, P., Sil, S., & Buch, S. (2026). HIV Tat‐Stimulated Microglial Extracellular Vesicles Are Enriched for Ferroptosis Mediators: Role of Dysregulated Autophagy. Journal of Extracellular Biology, 5(6), e70153.
Singh, S., Kannan, M., Oladapo, A., Deshetty, U. M., Ray, S., Buch, S., and Periyasamy, P. (2025). Ethanol modulates astrocyte activation and neuroinflammation via miR-339/NLRP6 inflammasome signaling. Free Radic Biol Med 226, 1-12
Periyasamy, P*., Singh, S*., Oladapo, A., Kannan, M., and Buch, S. (2025). Role of lncRNA Xist-miR-124-CCL2 axis in HIV Tat-mediated microglial activation and neuroinflammation. Front Immunol 16, 1558842 (*equal authors)
Singh, S., Deshetty, U. M., Ray, S., Oladapo, A., Horanieh, E., Buch, S., and Periyasamy, P. (2024). Non-Coding RNAs in HIV Infection, NeuroHIV, and Related Comorbidities. Cells 13
Singh, S., Thangaraj, A., Chivero, E. T., Guo, M. L., Periyasamy, P., and Buch, S. (2023). Role of Dysregulated Autophagy in HIV Tat, Cocaine, and cART Mediated NLRP3 Activation in Microglia. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 18, 327-347

PubMed link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1lgWs1fAiJXQK/bibliography/public/